The Mexican president wants to reach an agreement with the U.S. to further cooperate on security, but she has been undermined by the cartels’ pervasive influence.

A combination of tact and tenacity is credited for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's successful dealings with US counterpart Donald Trump, most recently convincing him to delay a sky-high import tariff meant to come into effect Friday.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that she secured a pause on new tariffs coming into effect and a 90-day period to work on a trade deal in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.